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The Gospel of Matthew Bible Studies
The Gospel of Mark Bible Studies
The Book of Acts Bible Studies
January 2010
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The 6th Sunday of Easter (C) Grace and peace be with you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. Wow! What an incredible week this has been here at Pella Lutheran Church! After three and a half years of dreaming, planning, and preparing – the construction of our new building has finally begun, with the destruction of our old office and Sunday School wing. It was quite a sight! The demolition began on early Tuesday morning – and by 3:30 in the afternoon it was all done. The only things remaining of the building were the front office steps and a heap of rubble – and soon they too will all be gone. Speaking for myself, and I am sure for many of you as well, I don’t think that I was quite prepared for the emotions that I felt. On one hand, I felt tremendous excitement as I saw the building being demolished – because this finally means that our building project is really happening! And because of that, this is a time of great joy and celebration. But on the other hand, I also felt a sense of sadness and grief. Because that building – even though it needed to go – has been a part of this congregation’s life for more than sixty years. It had a lot of memories attached to it for me and for many others as well. It was tough to have to say “goodbye” to a building where so much ministry had taken place for our office staff, our Sunday School, our LYO, our quilters, and other groups and well. That part of our life at Pella – at least that physical part – is now gone forever. MIXED EMOTIONS! That’s what I and I am sure many of us are feeling. We are feeling a mixture of joy and sadness, excitement and fear, and all other kinds of stuff inside of our minds and hearts as we embark upon this building project. And the same is true regarding other areas of our congregational life as well. Last week we voted to call a new Associate Pastor – and we are looking forward to Charlane Lines coming to be with us. At the same time we will be bidding “farewell” to Pastor Sara next month as she moves on to her next ministry. Excitement and sadness are all mixed up together. And I can go on and on. In just a couple of weeks from now, our high school seniors will be graduating and will be looking forward to a new stage in their lives. But even as they celebrate they (and we who love them as parents, or siblings, or friends) will also be feeling sad that about the realization that their lives (and our relationships with them) will never again be the same. These MIXED EMOTIONS are present in all of the changes that we go through – whether it be of moving to a new home or community, entering into a new relationship, getting married, having a new baby or other addition to the family, changing careers, facing the “empty nest” syndrome, entering retirement, or losing a loved one. And even if changes seem to be mostly good, they are still are accompanied with stress, remembrances of the past, and yes, with worry and concern for the future. Even if we feel excited and joyful and excited, we also at the same time feel a bit troubled, worried, and afraid. That is what it was like for Jesus’ disciples in today’s gospel reading. For almost three years they had been together with Jesus as they shared his life and ministry. But now all this was about to change. Jesus had told them that he was about to suffer, die, and thus depart from this life. And just as we would be, their hearts were troubled, their minds were worried, and their spirits were afraid. And yet in the midst of all this, Jesus says: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.” (Jn. 14:27) What did Jesus mean by saying this? On the face of it, the disciples did not have peace – at least in the sense that we usually tend to think of it. The dictionary defines “peace” as being “freedom from disturbance” – that is, the absence of stress and turmoil and the end of all sorrow and worrying. That kind of peace – worldly peace – only comes about when nothing is happening or changing. Well, the disciples did not have that kind of peace as they knew that Jesus was about to leave them. And neither do we as we go through the changes of our lives. But Jesus’ peace does not mean the absence of stress and fear and sadness and other negative things. The peace that Jesus gives is rather a POWER which enables us to confront and deal with all of the changes that life may throw at us. Jesus’ peace is the assurance that no matter what we may face, God’s Holy Spirit will always give us the comfort and courage and inspiration that we need. That’s the kind of peace that we all need right now as deal with the changes of our church’s building program, and pastoral transitions, and all the changes that we may each be experiencing in our personal lives. And that’s the kind of peace that Jesus promises to give us now and always. Even as we experience sadness and sorrow – or “mixed emotions” – Jesus assures us that he loves us and will always be with us and that at the end he will bring us to eternal life with him in heaven. And because of that promise, we can live each and every moment with hope, with courage, and with joy! And so may the peace of God – the peace that Jesus gives – the peace which passes all understanding – keep your hearts and your minds always in Christ Jesus. Amen. -------------------- Pastor George Karres 418 W. Main St. Sidney, MT 59270
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